


Observation

by ladydragon76



Series: AU Yeah AUgust (in December) [2]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One
Genre: College, College AU, It's Trope Time People!, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-03
Updated: 2018-12-03
Packaged: 2019-09-06 02:07:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16822993
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladydragon76/pseuds/ladydragon76
Summary: Summary:Perceptor chose to study his fellow students for his Sociology report.





	Observation

**Author's Note:**

> **'Verse:** G1  
>  **Series:** AU Yeah August (in December)  
>  **Rating:** PG-13  
>  **Characters:** Perceptor, Wheeljack  
>  **Warnings:** None  
>  **Notes:** I'm sure you all remember AU Yeah AUgust, yeah? Well, I was crocheting and didn't have time to try to write like I wanted, so I decided to move it to December. I have chosen some other prompts to replace some on the original list so as to avoid the ones I'm not into, but I do hope y'all enjoy!
> 
> 2\. College

"Say again?" the mech asked, unique helmfins lighting up with the words. He did not seem against the notion, just confused.

Perceptor smiled politely and repeated, "I would like to study your behavior for my final report. I plan to discuss the differences between underclassmechs and the class facing graduation. I recall going through the experience myself, of course, but simply writing about my own experiences would not be properly scientific, as such I need subjects to study throughout these final semesters."

Blue optics blinked. "Well... Yeah, I mean, I guess, sure. Not sure how exciting it'll be." The mech stuck his hand out. "I'm Wheeljack."

"Perceptor," Perceptor replied and clasped Wheeljack's hand. "I will stay out of your way, and I am not here to pass judgment, simply observe, so please go about your day as you would normally once we begin."

"Uh... sure." Wheeljack's helmfins brightened, and his optics tilted up a bit with his smile. "I gotta get ta class, but here." Perceptor's short range comms were pinged. "My comm line. Just send me the schedule, and I'll make sure ya know where I plan ta be when ya wanna study me."

Perceptor pinged his comm code back over the new line and smiled again. "Thank you, Wheeljack. I will be in touch in a few days.

The underclassmech waved and scurried off to his class, and Perceptor checked off his first subject. Now to find a few more.

~ | ~

Wheeljack was clearly an outlier and probably shouldn't be counted, Perceptor thought as he watched the mech work in the chemistry lab. At first he had believed that Wheeljack was one of those who did not enjoy the rather wild parties and loud celebrations, that he was a studious sort. Wheeljack was, indeed, studious, but he wasn't like Perceptor. He didn't see the parties and get-togethers as interruptions to his work, and he was quite the people person as well. Wheeljack was open, gregarious. He was friendly and enthusiastic. He'd made friends with everyone, including the infamous Party Ambulance within a day of Perceptor beginning his study. Perceptor had thought at the time, _Ah. And it begins_.

And yet... Here they were. There was a party raging just a few halls over, and Wheeljack had enjoyed a drink -leaving Perceptor to believe he was finally going to see the mech behave as all the other underclassmechs he watched- but instead of being dragged to the dance floor, Wheeljack suddenly took a datapad from his subspace and began to scribble furiously upon it. A moment later, and Perceptor had to scramble after the mech. And this was not the first time it had happened.

Breaking his own rule in regards to observation only, Perceptor asked, "Why are you in here, Wheeljack?"

"Hm? Oh, I had an idea. Wanna see if it'll work. Ya can go back if ya want, I'm not gonna be doin' anythin' too excitin' here."

Perceptor moved closer, curious about what could be more important than the after-midterms celebration to the younger mech. "What is it?"

"High grade tastes awful," Wheeljack replied and mixed a few more chemicals. "I know there're fancy refined drinks like in the Towers that're supposed ta taste nice, so there's gotta be somethin' I can do ta Ratch's tankrot ta make it less repulsive, ya know?"

He didn't, but Perceptor didn't say so. He was content to take Wheeljack's word for it. Ratchet was the Academy's foremost medical student, a prodigy, blessed by Primus Himself they said, but the mech was utterly wild. Perceptor had politely accepted an offered drink at a prior party, but one sniff had told him all he needed to know about the drink, and none of it was something he wished to experience firsthand.

Perceptor found himself a stool and settled in to watch his subject work.

~ | ~

"What is that?" Perceptor asked in surprise before he could remember his observe only rule. This wouldn't be even the tenth time he'd broken that rule with Wheeljack though.

"Got turborats in the dorms," Wheeljack answered, fiddling with what absolutely looked like a blaster.

"And you intend to shoot them?"

Wheeljack huffed a laugh. "Naw, mech, guns are dangerous, and not all our classmates here are the brightest bulbs. This is a sonic blaster." And then, to Perceptor's utter shock, Wheeljack aimed it at him and pulled the trigger. "See? Nothing harmful ta a mech. I mean, mostly. Prob'ly get a headache if ya just kept it aimed at yer head for an hour or so though."

Perceptor blinked rapidly a few times. "Sonic?"

"High frequency. Beyond our range." A finger was wiggled distractedly at the side of Wheeljack's head. A moment of fiddling later, Wheeljack set the sonic blaster down and crouched to reach under the workbench. He brought up a small metal toolbox and took up the blaster again. "Let's go out ta the quad. I don't want it in the buildin' or ta get busted for lettin' rats loose in the labs."

Perceptor followed and spent an entertaining afternoon watching Wheeljack chase the turborat around as it fled time and again from the blast of sound none of the bemused students could hear.

~ | ~

He was nearing the end of his study when Perceptor finally figured Wheeljack out. He wasn't an outlier after all, he was just different in what he saw as a 'party'. Perceptor pushed back against the amused laugh that wanted to bubble out as he watched Wheeljack in a panic over not studying enough and thus not being prepared for his test in a couple hours.

Wheeljack was _trying_ to study now, but his pacing and trying to repeat common algorithms to himself were liberally interspersed with desperate pleas to Primus to 'just let' him 'remember enough to pass'.

It took a bit, but Perceptor finally got the whole story, as well as information his own observation schedule hadn't granted him. Wheeljack tried to study, but he often found himself distracted by ideas, inventions that _needed_ built and tested _right_ then. Throughout his primary education, Wheeljack's caretaker had learned he'd needed to all but sit on the youngling to keep him focused, and here Wheeljack was, messing it all up. He _tried_ , he really did, but sometimes he just got caught up.

"Prism's gonna be so disappointed!" Wheeljack wailed.

It was then that Perceptor broke the rule yet again, and grabbed Wheeljack by the arm. He steered the younger mech into a chair, dragged one around for himself, stole Wheeljack's datapad, and helped him study.

~

Perceptor's own class wasn't testing yet, so he was able to return afterwards to Wheeljack's classroom and wait. Optics and helmfins lit in joy as Wheeljack spotted Perceptor, and he bounced over.

"I passed! You saved my life, Perce!"

Perceptor chuckled and returned the hug he'd been glomped by. "It's the least I could do in return. Shall we celebrate?"

"Sure!" Wheeljack said brightly. "But ya know what? I wanna swing by the student lab quick before we go wherever. Ya ever notice how uncomfortable our berths are? I got this idea for a cheaper way ta make a foam. I think I can get it to work."

Perceptor smiled and followed. He might just have to leave Wheeljack out of his report after all. Subjects weren't supposed to be friends, and -in the interest of science- Perceptor should stick to his unbiased observations. Besides, the administration hadn't yet found out who invented the sticky gel 'bombs' from the prank war last week, and Perceptor didn't want anyone to think of asking him should he write about Wheeljack's version of underclassmech distractions from studying appropriately. He did so hate lying to those respected authority figures.


End file.
